5/19/2010

I didn't even know this song existed before I heard Freeway & Memphis Bleek spitting over it a few years ago. Since then, the original sample has become one of my favorite songs, probably because of the flip. Even though the original song has nothing to do with hustling, I associate this great soul classic with the image of a dark street corner in the 1970s. Go figure.

The song that made me realize that Southern rap is incredible. Weirdly enough, this was probably the most influential song for me when I first started listening to rap. Scarface is one of the top 5 lyricists of all time, and is unbelievably underrated. He has infinitely more street cred than most of the trapper/rappers of today, has been in one of the most influential rap groups of all time (The Geto Boys) and has released tons of classic albums, like The Diary, The Fix, Last of a Dying Breed, and more. This is street hip hop, with more lyricism and content than most of the so-called conscious rappers who constantly diss the South. Not only does dude rap his ass off and spit knowledge, he also moonlights as a producer. (Interesting fact: his cousin is the dude who sang "I can see clearly now", Johnny Nash. There must be something in the water in Houston.)

Steel Pulse are legends in their own right (Get familiarrrr), and on this fantastic tune, they team up with personal fave Jr. Gong, the incredible Damian Marley. This is a balm for the soul, proper rock-steady Reggae music. This is the soundtrack to revolution, baby. The bassline is proper, and Damian Marley's verse is mindblowing as hell. Actually, this whole song is bananas. Praise Jah.

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